Sikorsky says it has completed developmental flight tests of its S-92 helicopter, fitted with a search and rescue automatic flight control system. A company news release says the AFCS is “the first to fly automated approaches to a set position ‘hooked’ by a search radar, flight management system way point, thermal imager, or digital map” In effect, it enables flight crews to continuously look out of the cockpit, making possible “a nighttime, [instrument flight rules] rescue in icing conditions.” The civil S-92 system is a subset of a “sophisticated” system in the company’s CSAR-X entry the H-92 Superhawk.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
